Spider-Man: Homecoming Toys Reveal Additional Villains

Today was a big day for fans of Spider-Man, as the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming was part of the Marvel Studios panel at Hall H during San Diego Comic-Con 2016. Director Jon Watts has only been filming for 10 days, but he still shot enough to give fans an amusing sizzle reel depicting Peter Parker's life as a high schooler in New York, setting the stage for what could be one of the most entertaining Marvel Cinematic Universe movies yet. The trailer ended with confirmation that the Vulture would be the main villain of the story, marking the first time that character would be seen in live-action.

As exciting as that proposition is, it would appear that Vulture won't be the only one doing battle against Spider-Man. Despite the franchise's mixed history with incorporating numerous antagonists to torment Peter Parker (Spider-Man 3, The Amazing Spider-Man 2), Homecoming is hoping that the third time will be the charm. Once again, a Spider-Man film will feature a trio of enemies for the web slinger to fight.

Hall H wasn't the only source for news on the MCU's first standalone Spider-Man vehicle. While attending a Diamond Select Toys panel, Griffin Newman learned that the company wants to produce an entire line based on Homecoming's roster of characters, which allegedly includes the likes of the Tinkerer and the Shocker:

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This toy panel just seemingly (accidentally?) confirmed that Vulture, Tinkerer, *and* Shocker are all in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. #SDCC2016

When asked for more details, Newman stated that Diamond Select did not show any pictures of what the figures would look like, since they do not have enough reference points for specific characters at this point in time. However, the revelation that Shocker and Tinkerer would factor into the narrative was "mentioned offhandedly" as if their inclusion had already been reported. This will no doubt come as a surprise to viewers, since Marvel Studios has been extremely quiet on who's playing who in the new film.

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This might also cause certain audience members to view Homecoming with a bit of trepidation, since comic book movies that use multiple villains (usually more than two) don't always pan out so well. There are exceptions, of course, but it makes it difficult for the filmmakers to develop everything fully. There is obviously a chance that some of these will only be cameos to set up potential appearances in sequels, but that recalls memories of Paul Giamatti's turn as the Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which was poorly received. It places Watts in a tricky situation, and it will be interesting to see how he balances it all out for the final film. Given that he's still shooting, another possibility to consider is that some of these characters could be cut completely.

With that in mind, it's important for fans not to rush to judgment until they get a better idea of what Watts has in store. Concept art from Sam Raimi's scrapped Spider-Man 4 revealed that Bruce Campbell would cameo as Mysterio in a montage showing Spider-Man bringing various villains from the comics (that wouldn't fit for the main focus of a film) to justice. Shocker and Tinkerer could end up being something similar to that; fun Easter eggs for longtime fans to enjoy. Marvel Studios has a great track record to date and have shown they have a good handle on their material. For now, they've more than earned the benefit of the doubt.

Doctor Strange opens November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man: Homecoming– July 7, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; Black Panther – February 16, 2018;Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Ant-Man and the Wasp – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel– March 8, 2019;Avengers: Infinity War Part 2– May 3, 2019; and as-yet untitled Marvel movies on July 12, 2019, and on May 1, July 10, and November 6 in 2020.